Yet another go at the Mickey ride at WDW's Magic Kingdom (feedback wanted)

[Brer Oswald]

The biggest concern of mine is that this newer Mickey Mouse series may become real dated real fast. They have stopped producing the cartoons on TV (since 2019), and I don't even know when/if they're going to do "The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse" again. I hope they do, or people will be confused as to what this version of Mickey is supposed to be.

It may end up being like with Gadget's Go Coaster. People in the '90s may have known the reference, but how many know the reference now? Granted, "Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers" is on Disney Plus (as far as I know), and I believe they made an appearance on the newer "Duck Tales" series, but even that doesn't last forever, nor does everyone get Disney Plus.

There’s definitely an expiry date on the current Mickey design. I happen to like it, and I’m sure they’ll push it for awhile, but eventually it will get changed up.

The 1930s design is timeless. It’s Mickey in his golden years. It was a no brainer to me to go with that design.

 

[mharrington]

There’s definitely an expiry date on the current Mickey design. I happen to like it, and I’m sure they’ll push it for awhile, but eventually it will get changed up.

The 1930s design is timeless. It’s Mickey in his golden years. It was a no brainer to me to go with that design.

And when the design does expire, the ride is unfortunately going to become awkwardly and perhaps even embarrassingly stale. With the Great Movie Ride having been replaced by Runaway Railway and Disneyland's Toontown receiving the ride as well (which, granted, does fit, as the show does have kind of a Toontown vibe), Disney is ensuring that this ride, occupying such a huge footprint, will be locked into this specific Mickey design for years to come. Let's hope those cartoons will continue to be made in 2023 or whenever it is that the Disneyland ride opens. So far, though, I haven't really seen hide or hair of any new cartoons.

 

[mharrington]

In addition to bringing back the barnyard for the "Mickey's Follies" segment, I've also thought of doing the wild animals part in a "Jungle Rhythm" style, with jungle trees. The whale here appears just offshore from a beach.

Here's the full rundown of scenes in the ride:

1) Meet Mickey and Pals
2) Mickey's Follies
3) Jungle Rhythm
4) Barrel of Fun/Hall of Mirrors (transition)
5) The Animated Inanimate: Giant room, clock tower, vehicles
6) Goofy's Wipeout
7) Magical Mayhem (purple chaos scene/explosion)
8) Farewell
8.5) Unload

 

[mharrington]

The following is a list of all the references to the classic Disney cartoons in the ride (any scenes not listed have no cartoon references):

Throughout:
1) "Thru the Mirror" (lively music from that plays throughout in various styles until the climax; partial theme of Animated Inanimate scene)

Scene 1: Meet Mickey and Pals
2) "Steamboat Willie" (steam whistles used to open the ride curtain)

Scene 2: Mickey's Follies
3) "Mickey's Follies" (the name of the barnyard acts section; ducks dance around)
4) "Mickey's Revue" (cows doing ballet in the Follies section)
5) "The Whoopee Party" (Horace playing a strange pipe... instrument… thing)
6) "Mickey's Amateurs" (Clarabelle playing piano
7) "The Band Concert" (Mickey's costume)
8) "Blue Rhythm" (Mickey's clarinet)

Scene 3: Jungle Rhythm
9) "Jungle Rhythm" (the name of the section and jungle-like setting; appearances by a bear and a lion)
10) "Mickey's Circus" (Donald's seal act)
11) "Mickey and the Seal" (the seals themselves)
12) "The Pointer"/"Donald's Vacation" (the bear)
13) "Pluto At the Zoo" (the lion)
13) "Donald Duck and the Gorilla" (the gorilla)
15) "The Whalers" (the whale)

Scene 5: The Animated Inanimate
16) "Mickey's Orphans" (the design of Mickey's house)
17) "Clock Cleaners" (inside of clock)
18) "Donald's Tire Trouble" (one of the cars)
19) Either "Mickey's Service Station" or "Get a Horse" (second car, resembling Pete's)
20) "The Mail Pilot" (first plane)
21) "Plane Crazy" (second plane)

Scene 6: Goofy's Wipeout
22) "Hawaiian Holiday" (Goofy surfing wave)

Scene 7: Magical Mayhem
23) "Magician Mickey" (magic tricks and climax with Donald, flare gun and fireworks)

What do you think?

 

[Sam Magic]

And when the design does expire, the ride is unfortunately going to become awkwardly and perhaps even embarrassingly stale. With the Great Movie Ride having been replaced by Runaway Railway and Disneyland's Toontown receiving the ride as well (which, granted, does fit, as the show does have kind of a Toontown vibe), Disney is ensuring that this ride, occupying such a huge footprint, will be locked into this specific Mickey design for years to come. Let's hope those cartoons will continue to be made in 2023 or whenever it is that the Disneyland ride opens. So far, though, I haven't really seen hide or hair of any new cartoons.

They launched a new series based on the 2010s designs on Disney+ I think last year. I believe there was a pause in production due to the ill-health and then passing of Minnie's original voice actress.

 

[mharrington]

They launched a new series based on the 2010s designs on Disney+ I think last year. I believe there was a pause in production due to the ill-health and then passing of Minnie's original voice actress.

I don't think that's the reason, as they already found a replacement before the show came out.

 

[mharrington]

Once again, I'm tweaking this ride by (re)inserting the interactive element into the ride, back when I first considered including the Lonesome Ghosts, who were terrorizing the circus and this ride in particular.

This time, however, instead of ghosts, Mickey's box of tricks get loose and you have to aim special "unknown light" staffs that look like flashlights mounted to a crystal ball on your cars, with which to catch those rabbits, birds and cards and capture them in the crystal balls. Unlike many interactive dark rides where you stop at each scene, it functions more like the Buzz Lightyear ride, which is almost in constant motion. At the start of the ride, as the magic elements from the magic hat and crystal ball (they have been strategically placed with the hat mounted on top of the ball to keep things under control) get loose, Mickey senses an opportunity to use those "unknown flashlights", and advises guests on using them: to aim at any loose rabbits, birds or playing cards in the area and capture them with the lights, which will get sucked back into the crystal.

In addition, there will be an extra room after the Inanimate room, which is a prop warehouse, where more of these magical objects are found. The haywire magic from the beginning has taken over the prop warehouse, similar to how the weasels in the Roger Rabbit ride have seemingly taken over the Gag Factory. Goofy's surfing starts in the earlier room, then transitions into this room as he wipes out and crashes into the crystal ball, causing the magical mayhem, which shows that the efforts to contain the magic elements have been in vain.

Here is the new batch of scenes:

1) Meet Mickey and Pals
2) Mickey's Follies
3) Jungle Rhythm
4) Barrel of Fun/Hall of Mirrors (transition)
5) Animated Inanimate
6) Prop Warehouse/Goofy's Wipeout
7) Magical Mayhem
8) Farewell
8.5) Unload

What do you think of the potential new interactive element? That's another way to help differentiate between this and Runaway Railway.